New Delhi: New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday voiced India’s concern about the functioning of the United Nations.
Speaking at an event to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the UN, Jaishankar said “all is not well” with the UN as its debates have become “increasingly polarised” and its working gridlocked, reported PTI.
“Any meaningful reform is obstructed using the reform process itself,” he said adding sustaining the UN even while seeking its re-invention is clearly a major challenge before the world.
Jaishankar cited Pakistan’s attempts to protect the terror outfit — The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group — that claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack at the UN Security Council and pointed out that the global body’s work has been “gridlocked” in the absence of urgent reforms.
“Few examples are more telling about the challenges facing the UN than its response to terrorism. When a sitting Security Council member openly protects the very organisation that claims responsibility for the barbaric terror attack such as at Pahalgam, what does it do to the credibility of multilateralism,” Jaishankar asked.
Jaishankar didn’t take any name, but none was under any doubt that he was referring to Pakistan.
“Similarly, if victims and perpetrators of terrorism are equated in the name of global strategy, how much more cynical can the world get. When self-proclaimed terrorists are shielded from the sanctioning process, what does it say for the sincerity of those involved,” Jaishankar said.
Pakistan, a member of the UN Security Council, was the chair of the top global body in July.
The Council comprises 15 members, including five permanent members — China, France, Russian Federation, the UK and the US.
Ten non-permanent member nations are elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly.